Whatever it Takes
by Alwayssg1
Summary: Sequel to But Not Us. The battle was over. The Avengers won, but one of their own paid the price. Now, Natasha will do whatever it takes to make things right and bring him home. Natasha centric, Romangers.
1. Chapter 1

**Marvel owns the Avengers. No copyright intended. I'm just playing in their sandbox. **

**Sequel to But, Not Us. Serious angst warning for this one, so I'm sorry in advance.**

"If there was another way, I'd take it, Nat," Steve said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her one final time. "I have to go."

"I know. We said we wouldn't let our relationship come before the mission. We said we'd do whatever it took, but it hurts so much," Natasha said, her voice broken but her resolve strong. "Just try to come back to me."

"I will never stop trying."

**Three Months Later**

**Avenger's Compound **

Natasha woke up in a cold sweat. She'd suffered through occasional nightmares for years, but they had never been this frequent. They were coming every single night, and they were always the same. She always saw Steve. Sometimes, he would be running towards her, announcing his return. She would run to jump into his arms only to have him turn to dust before her eyes. Other times, she would see Thanos break his back on the battlefield, and her final image would be of his lifeless body.

She missed him desperately. Three months without Steve felt like a lifetime. Their sacrifice saved the universe. Everyone was back, reappearing in an instant completely unaware of the year their loved ones had spent without them.

It had been almost as much of a disruption having the population suddenly double as it had having it suddenly cut in half, but things were getting back to normal for the world. But, nothing would ever be normal again for Natasha.

The solution had been simple and complex at the same time. From the moment Carol had appeared and Bruce realized she shared the same energy signature as the space stone, things had really started to fall into place. She was strong, strong enough to give them an edge.

The real trick was finding Thanos and the stones. Nebula had helped with that dilemma. She knew where her adopted father planned to retire, and the mad titan hadn't been much of a match for the angry Avengers once they were all working together.

His injuries from the encounter with Thor had weakened him, and the gauntlet on his hand was fried from the snap. Nebula laid the final blow, killing Thanos just as she had planned. But, the cost was high. She was injured so badly that she wouldn't be fighting again any time soon.

With the stones in their possession, Tony and Bruce worked tirelessly. Without a working gauntlet, they couldn't just snap everyone back into place. Thor led the mission to build a new gauntlet at the forge, but there was a catch, always a catch.

None of the Avengers were strong enough to wield the power of the gauntlet without paying a price. Even Thanos had found himself trapped in his precious garden, and he was a titan.

Thor was the most logical choice, but Steve wouldn't let him make the sacrifice. Without Thor, who would lead the Asgardians? Tony offered, but he was a new father. Everyone was willing, but Natasha knew before the discussion even started that it would be Steve who saved them all.

The hope was that once Steve snapped his fingers and disappeared they would find him wherever he was transported, or maybe he would find a way home. Three months passed and still no Steve. Natasha was devastated, and these nightmares weren't getting better.

She needed to get away from the compound, or she wasn't going to make it. Everywhere she looked, she saw remnants of her life with Steve, and it was just too much.

Natasha dressed quickly and packed a bag. It was still dark outside, but it didn't matter. Science had failed to bring Steve back to her. She needed to try another approach. She needed to make a visit to a sorcerer, and there was only one who came to mind.

Stephen Strange had locked himself away in his sanctum as soon as he'd returned. He wasn't taking the Avengers calls, but she had no intention of calling or just showing up at his front door. He would help her even if she had to revert to Red Room training to force his hand. She wasn't above torturing a supposed ally, not if there was a chance she could get Steve back. Surely, there was something in his books that might give them a clue, and she was going to find it, whatever it takes.

**Short first chapter but this is the set up. I will try to get a second chapter up soon. Chapter 2 will explain the direction a little better. Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**New York **

**Sanctum Sanctorum**

**6 a.m.**

Stephen casually walked into his study, not even looking in the direction of the chair where Natasha was currently seated, and immediately opened the bar. He pulled out a bottle of Russian vodka he'd been saving for just this occasion and casually poured two doubles.

Without turning around, he levitated one glass in Natasha's general direction. "I know it's early, but you're Russian and I haven't gone to bed yet. Alcohol will probably make this conversation more comfortable for both of us."

Natasha casually took the glass but remained silent. Stephen finally turned to face his would-be assailant and sighed. "Three months and four days, I would have expected you to show up sooner."

"We rescued you from the soul stone. I would have expected you to take our calls," she said dryly.

"Our calls? None came from you specifically. There were dozens from Stark and a few from Dr. Banner, but you never called," he said, "or knocked. I'd ask how you got in, but I doubt you'd tell me."

"You're right. I wouldn't," she said, finally taking a drink.

"Guess we should get down to business, unless you're really intent on torturing me. If it's that important to you, I should warn you that Wong will be down soon. He doesn't care much for unnecessary violence."

"Contrary to popular opinion, neither do I. Are you going to help me get Steve back or-"

"The or isn't necessary. I've been waiting for you."

"Then why avoid the calls?"

"Because, you needed to come alone. The others would make this much too complicated. You want your captain back, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to get him. My methods are less than scientific. Your friends won't approve."

"I don't care," she said, finishing her drink. "You told Tony there was only one scenario where we beat Thanos. When you saw the scenario play out, did you or did you not see where Steve was transported?"

"I did."

"I need the location."

"It's a little more complicated than that, I'm afraid. You can't get to him by normal means."

"We have a space ship. We got to Thanos," she said.

"Yes, but Thanos and the captain are two very different people. Let me see if I can explain this, Thanos knew from the beginning he would be imprisoned for using the gauntlet. He also understood enough about the power he was wielding to be able to choose where that imprisonment would take place. For Thanos, the ends justified the means, because he fully believed what he was doing was the right thing. You and I both know it wasn't, but he firmly believed in his cause."

"So did Steve."

"Yes, but Steve Rogers didn't complete his mission. That's the difference."

"Everyone is back. He completed his mission."

"No, he completed the objective he believed he could achieve, not his true mission." Stephen took a drink and sat across from Natasha. "What your captain wanted to achieve, his deepest desire when he snapped his fingers, wasn't just to bring everyone back. He wanted to fix the mistakes you and the others made that allowed Thanos to win in the first place. It was that desire that chose his location. While Thanos felt he had achieved his life's purpose and was ready to retire to his garden, Steve is currently still trying to prevent what happened from happening in the first place."

"I'm not sure I'm following. We already thought of time travel. If Steve were messing with the timeline, something would have changed."

"You're right. If your captain were messing with this timeline, we would see evidence, but his prison isn't this timeline. He's in a pocket dimension, one that is replaying the events of the last decade on a repeating loop. For him, time is passing at regular pace but, compared to our own, it is going incredibly fast. He's already relived the last several years many times, making tiny changes here and there to attempt to get things right, and failing every single time, only to wake up at the beginning and do it all over again. Sometimes he lives through the entire timeline. Other times, the changes he makes end his life prematurely. Every time he fails, he loses a part of himself."

"How do we free him?"

"We don't. He's the only one who can do that, and he won't be able to free himself until he gets it right. Once he does, the pocket dimension will fold into our own and the changes he made will become permanent. I've been monitoring the situation closely. He hasn't even come close to getting it right, and he's made 97 attempts. They've taken an incredible toll on him, I'm afraid."

"There has to be something we can do to help. Can we communicate with him? Tell him what he needs to change?"

"Communicate across dimensions? Not exactly. Something we can do? Now, you're asking the right question, but it isn't we, it's you."

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"I know," he said softly. "In the only scenario where we were truly successful, it was you and your desperation to save the man you loved that made it happen. Stark, Banner, and the others believe they've done it, but they are wrong. Success was never merely defeating Thanos and bringing those of us who were taken back into this world. Your captain is right. The only way we truly win is by making it so it never happened in the first place. I can send you to the pocket dimension. Together, you can fix this and save not only those snapped away but everyone Thanos killed to get the stones in the first place. The fate of the universe is in your hands, Ms. Romanoff. Are you willing to accept the responsibility?"

"Whatever it takes," she said, as her glass refilled itself. Natasha downed another shot. "When do we start?"

"How about now?" Stephen asked. "In the pocket dimension, you are currently on the run from Hydra. Director Fury has just faked his death. Do you remember much about the mission?"

"It was hard to forget," she said. "I do have one question. When you send me in, what happens to the me that's already there? Two of me running around could get complicated."

"It won't be an issue. You're consciousness will overwrite the consciousness of your younger self, but, I should warn you, if you aren't successful, the loop will restart. Your captain has lived through this timeline many times, he isn't quite the same man he was. You could lose yourself in this dimension if you aren't careful."

"I don't care. I'd rather live a hundred lifetimes failing to succeed with Steve by my side than the rest of this one without him. I'll take my chances."

**Washington, D.C.**

**Shopping Mall**

**2014**

Natasha was suddenly running through the mall with Steve. It had worked. Strange's magic had transported her into the pocket dimension. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she looked at Steve in his baseball cap. This was one moment she had cherished above so many others-their first kiss.

As they reached the escalator, she was just about to say the words she had said the first time when Steve started talking.

"Kiss me," he said. "Public displays of-"

"Affection make people uncomfortable," she finished, before kissing Steve soundly, allowing herself to enjoy the moment so much more than she had the first time around.

Knowing it wasn't the right time for a real conversation, Natasha immediately went into character and played her part just as she'd played it years earlier. She didn't allow herself to fully look at Steve again until the were in the "borrowed truck" fifteen minutes later.

"Aren't you going to ask me where I learned to hotwire a car?" he asked. "You always ask."

Natasha gave Steve a confused look. "Nazi Germany and we're borrowing, not stealing," she said.

"This is different. It shouldn't be different. I must have already done something wrong," he said more to himself than her.

"Steve, pull over."

"We don't pull over here."

"We do this time," she said softly. Strange was right. The constant looping was messing with his mind. She needed to explain things and calm him down, or they were going to be in big trouble.

"No, you're not going to die here. The times when I lose you are the hardest," he said. "I'm not crazy. You wouldn't believe me if I told you everything, so just trust me. We don't stop here."

"You're right. You aren't crazy. You're stuck in a time loop, Steve. It's me. I'm here to help."

Steve gave her a puzzled look. "That's not possible."

"Strange sent me. I'm really here. We have been through so many things, Steve, so many. If I weren't from our future, could I know Fury is alive? Or that the Winter Soldier is your best friend? Ultron? I shouldn't know the name yet, Steve. This is your prison. You brought everyone back, but I lost you. I'm here."

"You're here. You're really here. I'm not alone," he said, his voice shaking.

"We will fix this, Steve. You won't have to do this alone anymore. I'm here, and I'll do this with you as many times as it takes then we'll go home together."


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha really hated reliving the visit with Zola, but it had been an important event. She was grateful when she and Steve were finally settled in Sam's guest room. Just like the first time, her first priority was a quick shower. She knew Steve was still confused, and it worried her. Today had been odd enough. She couldn't imagine how it must have been for Steve to relive it so many times, and she already dreaded what she knew would be happening next.

Once she was clean, she finally got up her courage enough to ask the question that had been eating at her. "What have you tried so far?"

Steve slumped down onto the bed beside her. "Everything. Nothing works. I skipped involving Sam, and we both died before taking out the Hydra operatives in Shield. I tried explaining the time loop. No one believed me until it was too late. Ultron won that time. I told Tony the truth about Bucky. They fought and neither of them survived their injuries. Thanos still came that time. He still won. I've tried so many things. I've watched you fall for Bruce and over. I've saved Pietro. Once I prevented Ultron's creation, but it cost us Vision. Still, we lost. Nothing makes any difference. I even took a loop off and just ran away as soon as I woke up from the ice. Loki won that time."

"Oh, Steve," Natasha said, putting her arms around him. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come to you. You should know, everyone is back. They've been working for three months to find you."

"Three months? It's been so much longer for me."

"I know. I'm sorry. We'll figure this out. I promise," she said before kissing him.

Sam walked in to let them know breakfast was ready. "His timing has always needed work," Natasha said. "Let's get through this mission then we'll see what we can try this time around."

"You get hurt tomorrow."

"And, you nearly die the next day, but do we really have a choice? Some things have to play out."

"I can't watch you and Bruce again."

"You won't. That's one of many changes we're making. I'm not going off on my own when we bring down Shield either. We are sticking together no matter what happens."

"It's more important we stick together than how we stick together," he said. "I'm glad you came for me."

"It's what we do, Steve. There has to be a way. Strange as much as said there was a way out. We just have to find it."

**Cemetery **

**One Week Later**

"So, what do we do next?" Sam asked as the three friends walked to Natasha's corvette. "Are we going after your friend?"

"Not now," Steve said. "He will find us when he's ready. Go home. Get back to helping those veterans. I'm pretty sure I'll have a job for Falcon soon, if you're up to it."

"Oh, I'll be ready. What about you? What are you going to do?" Sam asked. "You and Widow are currently unemployed. If you aren't going after the Winter Soldier-"

"We'll figure something out," Steve said, looking over at Natasha.

"You got a place to stay? Your apartment is still a crime scene," Sam replied.

"He can stay with me," Natasha said firmly. "I didn't burn all my safe houses. We'll be fine, Sam. Just keep practicing. Don't let your skills get rusty. Hit the gym daily, and don't skip your runs. Pay more attention to what's happening on your left when you fly. You tend to favor your right side. Level up your left."

Sam laughed. "What? So, now you're my trainer?"

"You have no idea. We will need you, Sam. I need to know you're ready for what comes next. Consider yourself an Avenger in training," Natasha said.

"Oh, Tony Stark's going to love that," Sam teased.

"We'll handle Tony," Steve said. "You just practice and try to enjoy your life."

They dropped off Sam, and Natasha drove towards the safe house. Steve wasn't sure where they were going. He had never been there on any of his other loops. It actually felt kind of nice not to be in the driver's seat for a change. He trusted Natasha.

"I thought we were going to decide what to change together. Are you sure we should be leaving Sam here and skipping the search for James?" Natasha asked.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore, but I know we won't find him until he's ready. I just want time with you. If we fail because of it, we'll do something else next time. We've got decisions to make."

"We do. We'll be at the farm sometime tomorrow. You're going to meet Clint's family a little earlier this time around," she paused. "I think we should bring him into the loop."

"I've tried. The others never believe me."

"Clint will believe me. Trust me on that much, and we need him."

Steve nodded. He wasn't entirely convinced she was right, but it couldn't make things much worse. "Are we driving through the night?"

"No, neither of us is completely recovered. We'll stop for the night. I need to tell Clint we're coming, and I have to convince him you're worth the risk. He hasn't spent much time with you yet. I'm going to have to tell him about our relationship. He won't be all that surprised. I think he was hoping I would fall for the great Captain America from the moment we pulled you out of the ice. Laura will agree we should bring you in, but Clint still isn't in the best place after Loki. Liking you is one thing, telling you the family secret is something else altogether. Of course, what happened with Loki is exactly why he's going to believe us."

"Whatever you think. I trust you," Steve said.

"I know. At this point the first time around, I wasn't sure I believed you really did, but I know you trust me now. And, I trust Clint. It's going to be okay, Steve."

Once they were settled in the hotel and Natasha had convinced Clint to let her bring Steve to the farm, they settled into each other's arms. "I've missed holding you," he whispered.

"I've missed this, too," she said, kissing him softly. "Did we get together sooner in any of your previous timelines?"

"Once I realized my loop ended with the snap, I may have sped things along a few times. It wasn't the same. I hit on you after New York once."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "That was early. How'd that work out for you?"

"Let's just say you didn't try to set me up with anyone else. You were surprisingly receptive."

"Well, it is possible I was attracted to you from the start. I'm a little surprised I fell that easily. How'd you pull it off?"

"We were eating shawarma after the battle and you looked so tired, but you were still so beautiful, much prettier than I remembered. I asked what you were going to do next. You said you needed a vacation."

"I took one after New York," Natasha admitted, "Jamaica."

"That loop we both went to Jamaica for six days. It took me five to get beyond a kiss. We were together until the end that time."

"Wow, I'm speechless."

"We didn't last long though. You died at Rumalow's hands in D.C. I made sure I didn't survive the bomb that took out Zola."

"Steve," Natasha whispered. "You shouldn't have-"

"Kept going? How could I? A world without you in it isn't one I want to be part of. I'd been through enough loops to know the drill. Starting over was my only option," he paused. "I killed Rumalow the next loop. I killed him with my bare hands before he was exposed as Hydra then I spent the rest of the loop in a high security prison. It was worth it."

"All of this looping is changing you. You can't let it, Steve. You can't become something you're not."

"I don't think there's any way around it. We will have to stop Rumalow before Wanda and the bomb. That's the only way I ever manage to prevent the Accords."

"You've prevented the Accords before and it didn't work?"

"Yes, the betrayal still catches me every time. Zimo always finds a way to show Tony the tape. Even when I tell Tony myself-"

"It ends badly."

Steve nodded. "I don't know how to fix this, Nat."

"Maybe we don't fix everything."

"Isn't that the only way out of the loop?"

"Yes, but maybe we defeat Thanos before Tony finds out about Bucky, before the Avengers fall apart."

"We'd need Carol," Steve said, "and after Ultron, we lose Thor and Banner. Before, we could risk never bringing in Wanda, never creating Vision."

"Not necessarily, Steve. We just have to plan this out very carefully. If we can just convince Tony to use Jarvis from the start and if we can convince Wanda and Pietro to join us without fighting them-"

"Then we can have Fury page Carol sooner if we can get him to believe us. He doesn't trust people."

"So, we make him trust us or we could just steal the pager," she said, biting her lip.

"There's still the Bucky and Tony problem."

"That one's pretty complicated. We'll have to think on it more, but not now. I just need to be here with you tonight, Steve. Tonight, let's just be us. Tomorrow, we'll do whatever it takes."


	4. Chapter 4

Clint just stared at Natasha. He didn't speak for a long time, and it was making her extremely nervous. "Did you even hear a word I said?" she finally asked.

"Oh, I heard it," Clint said. "You and Cap have been a thing since some distant point in the future. We fought another alien, lost, fought again, won, and you and Cap are somehow stuck in the past trying to make sure we don't lose the first time. That about cover it?"

"Close enough. So, you believe me?"

"I believe you believe it," Clint said, "but, Tash, seriously, this doesn't make any sense. Have you considered the possibility of mind control? Hydra could have done something to you and Cap."

"You don't believe me," Natasha said, shaking her head. "Clint, we can't fix this without help. If you don't believe me, I don't know what we're going to do. I promised Steve I'd get him out of this loop. He's been reliving the past long enough."

"This is a lot to take in, and I'm pretty sure you would have trouble believing me if the situation were reversed."

"You need proof," Natasha said, quickly trying to think. Finally, it hit her. "You had a vasectomy last week."

"Laura told you! I asked her not to say anything. I can't believe she-"

"She didn't. You'll call me next week, or you would have in the other timeline. She's already pregnant. You were too late going under the knife. It's another boy, Nathaniel. We need to go get a pregnancy test. When it's positive, you'll have to believe me."

"It won't be positive. We've been very careful. We don't want to be outnumbered," Clint said.

"Let's get the test."

Two hours later, Laura and Clint walked into the living room, positive pregnancy test in hand. "How could you possibly have known?" Clint asked.

Natasha just raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Because I'm telling you the truth, Clint."

"She's not lying. We aren't crazy. For the sake of everyone in the universe, can you just admit we're right and help us," Steve said, squeezing Natasha's hand a little tighter.

"I guess this isn't that much crazier than aliens taking Manhattan. What do you need from me?"

"Finally," Natasha sighed. "Now, we're getting somewhere."

Steve and Natasha spent a week with Clint. They filled him in on the plan. If they could prevent Ultron and still gain Vision, Wanda, and Pietro then they could get Carol to Earth and go on the offensive before Thanos even got his hand on the first stone.

After their visit, Natasha suggested Jamaica. "Pretty sure you owe me a taste of the vacation you took with me in the other loop," she teased, and Steve was all too happy to comply.

They spent their days basking in the sun and their nights enjoying each other's presence. It was the first chance they had to really enjoy their relationship. When they finally gave into their feelings, they were so busy trying to defeat Thanos that it consumed every spare moment then Steve was gone. Jamaica was perfect, and they didn't want it to end.

"What do you say we stay here until it's time to go after the scepter?" Natasha suggested one night as they lay in bed.

"I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be or anyone I'd rather spend my time with," Steve said. "There's just one thing that might make it better."

"What's that?"

"Marry me. It's the one thing I've never gotten to do in any of the time loops. I want you to be my wife, Nat. What do you say? Just you and me saying our vows on the beach? Marrying you would make this my favorite loop, no matter how it ends."

"Yes, I'll marry you anytime, anywhere. But, we are going to win this time, Steve. We're going to get this right."

"With you by my side, I almost believe it."

**Stark Tower**

**5 Months Later**

Steve, Natasha, and Clint walked straight into Tony's lab. They didn't bother knocking. Now that Tony and Bruce had the scepter, the trio knew exactly what the scientists were doing. This was their moment. If they were going to prevent Ultron's creation, now was the time.

"Stop," Steve said, as soon as they entered the room, "we know what you're trying to do but your doing it wrong. Ultron isn't the answer."

"How do-" Tony began.

"Doesn't matter. Ultron isn't capable of saving us. He'll destroy us. Use Jarvis," Steve said.

"You want me to turn my personal butler into a weapon? Are you insane? He'd just ask the megalomaniacs if they wanted one lump or two in their cup of tea."

"Tony, we can't let you create Ultron. He'll try to take over the world. Jarvis will do anything to protect it. You designed him that way. If you don't trust us, trust yourself. You have to know deep down that using Jarvis, a tried and true A.I. who has saved your neck and Pepper's multiple times, is better than using an unknown entity you can't control," Natasha said softly.

"I'd feel better about this whole thing if we listened to them, Tony," Bruce said. "You know I'm not completely comfortable with any of this."

"You losing your nerve on me, Bruce?" Tony asked, continuing to fiddle with the computer.

"They shouldn't know about Ultron, but they do. Something isn't right, and I don't want to make any mistakes here."

"It's not a mistake," Tony said, "and it's on line, I think. You guys have nothing to worry about. Once Ultron has finished updating, we can all get back to our lives. The world will be safe. Pepper can rest at night knowing I'm not putting the suit back on, and Cap and Widow can go make a whole brood of little super spy babies. This is going to change everything. You'll see."

"We're too late. You're right, Tony. It's going to change everything, just not for the better," Natasha said. She looked at Steve. "We better go prepare for the battle. Maybe we can still fix this."

**Sokovia**

**1 Week Later**

"We managed to keep Bruce off the quinjet. That's something," Natasha said, looking toward the scientist who lay on the ground not far away. "He should recover soon enough then we'll get the pager and contact Carol. It's time to get this over with once and for all."

"Yeah, I wish we'd saved Pietro. Without Banner turning into the Hulk, I'm just hoping we didn't miss any of Ultron's army," Steve said.

"I couldn't risk pushing him. It's how we lost him the first time. I'm sure we got all the robots. If we didn't, we won't stop until we're sure. For now, we have to convince Thor to stay," Natasha added. "That won't be easy."

"Nothing ever is," Steve said, "but it's a whole lot better with you."

Steve was just about to kiss Natasha when she saw it. Another of Ultron's minions was rising from the ashes. "Steve, watch out!" she yelled, but it was too late.

By the time Steve turned, the robot was on him. He didn't even have time to put up his shield before the robot had driven it's own arm through his chest, straight through his heart. There were no final words. There was no last moment. There was no more Steve.

As the robot came for Natasha, she didn't even flinch. She saw no reason to fight it. As the minion attacked, she just whispered, "Whatever it takes."

**Stalingrad**

**1945**

The gun in her hand was still smoking when Natasha was suddenly thrust into her younger self's body. This was unexpected. She assumed the loop would pick up when Steve came out of the ice. Apparently, she was wrong. This was the date history recorded as Steve Rogers's last, but it was an important date for Natalia Romanova, too.

She looked at the man with the bag over his head. This was one of the worst moments in her entire life. In a few seconds, they would remove the sack and she would see Ivan's lifeless body, dead by her hand. Killing the only father she had ever known was her final step in the training process, and she just completed it.

Quickly thinking over her options, she realized what she had to do. Steve didn't know how many years she'd fought for the Red Room. No one knew. It was her best kept secret. In order to be there for Steve when he woke up, Natasha was going to have to relive the next 70 years of her life.

She was fifteen. Her graduation ceremony was coming in a few weeks, and she had to go through it. Otherwise, she wouldn't get the serum necessary To prevent her from aging normally. Steve needed her. She just hoped he never had to know what she was going to have to do to get back to him. So many horrible things, so many lives taken at her hand, but she would do it again. It was the only way she would ever get back to Steve. It was the only way they could ensure Thanos never snapped his fingers. She would be the Black Widow and everything it entailed.

**Yes, it is a cold-hearted twist, but I promise it was completely necessary. Don't kill me please. I am not stuck in a time loop (I don't think), so the story would just go unfinished. **


	5. Chapter 5

**New York**

**May, 2011**

Steve slowly came to consciousness in the all to familiar room. He could hear the baseball game playing in the background. It was time to start again. The door opened and Natasha walked inside.

"The cameras are active, but I managed to turn off the microphone. I know you have a few questions but-" she began.

"A few questions? That doesn't even begin to cover it, Nat. I've woken up to a world without you six times. Six times, Nat," he said, grabbing her wrist. "I was afraid I'd lost you forever."

She winced. "I know. I can explain everything but not here. You're supposed to run into the street and realize how much time's passed then Fury will spend the next five days debriefing you before setting you up in the apartment. I'll meet you there and explain everything, but, please, Steve, just go. I can't do this again."

**Five Days Later**

**Steve's Apartment**

Natasha didn't bother using the front door. She was fully aware the apartment was being watched, and Fury thought she was checking in on Laura and the kids for Clint. She waited until nearly midnight before sneaking in the bathroom window. She went straight into Steve's room. He was awake, so she put her finger to her mouth to keep him silent then turned on the small device that would dampen the bugs Shield had installed.

As soon as the device was active, Natasha spoke. "I know I owe you an explanation. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up the last few times. I tried, Steve, I really tried."

Steve pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "The first time, I didn't know what to think. All I knew was you were gone, and no one had any record of you. I searched everywhere. I badgered Clint for answers, but he thought I was crazy. The next few loops I didn't bother trying. I just needed them to end in hopes of seeing you again when I woke up. It wasn't until the loop before last that I finally started figuring things out. The loop doesn't start when I wake up. It starts a lot sooner, doesn't it?"

"It starts when you go into the ice," Natasha said.

"And, I figured out something else that loop, too. I saw the tape, Nat. You said you were born in 1984, but I watched Bucky kill a grown woman with your face in 1991."

"It wasn't James. It was the Winter Soldier," Natasha said.

"Killing the woman I love," Steve added. "I saw my best friend kill my wife. It was the first time I fully understood where Tony was coming from in Siberia. I need to understand, Nat. Why did you lie to me?"

"By the time I met you, I'd been telling that lie longer than most people had been alive. What was I supposed to do? Announce to you, Fury, Coulson, and the other Avengers that I was already familiar with Captain America because I was being trained to kill him in the 40's? If you hadn't gone into the ice, neutralizing you would have been my first assignment, Steve. Your plane crash happened just before I graduated.

"When I finished the program, I was given the Red Room's version of the super soldier serum. It's weaker than yours, but it works to an extent. My serum keeps me young. I couldn't risk anyone knowing how slowly I age, and the Red Room and then the KGB did a good job of covering up my footprints through history. I didn't want you to know how many years I worked for them. I didn't want anyone to know."

"You had to relive your time with the Red Room because of me. How many years have you lived since I saw you last?" he asked.

"Too many to count. I've done things I'm not proud of, things that I wasn't proud of the first time, yet I still repeated them. I'm not the woman I was, Steve. I don't know if I can ever be her again."

"I'm not who I was before either, but it hasn't stopped me from loving you. I don't care what you've done. I'm just glad you're here with me now."

"Hold me, Steve. I've made a few changes, and I'll tell you everything in the morning. I just need you tonight."

Natasha didn't have to say another word. Suddenly, Steve was carrying her to his bed. Time seemed to stand still as they poured all of their emotions into a kiss. Afterwards, she rested her head on his chest and listened to the familiar beat of his heart. She was finally home.

Steve was the first to speak. "The scar is gone, the one you showed me at the hospital."

"It didn't happen this time around," she said softly.

"Are you ready to tell me what did happen?"

"When I woke up, it was 1945. I was a teenager in Stalingrad. I knew I didn't have a lot of options. I needed to get back to you, so I did my best to remember the events of the last seventy years. It worked for awhile then I made a mistake. The first loop, I died in Cuba during the sixties. I made a mistake. I thought I could skip some of the red in my ledger by not murdering a family the KGB wanted dead. When I helped them escape, the KGB came after me. The second loop, I made a decision. There wasn't much I could do about the red in my ledger, but there might be something I could do about someone else's red. If I could stop the Winter Soldier from killing the Starks-"

"You could prevent the one thing I have never been able to stop. Tony and I wouldn't destroy the team, and the Avengers could face Thanos together," Steve said.

Natasha nodded. "It took a few tries. By the early nineties, I no longer had a handler. The Red Room was gone, and the KGB had bigger issues than keeping track of me. The Cold War was basically over. There was no one to watch my every move. I was able to slip away and be there when the Winter Soldier went after Tony's parents. He was good, better than me. I had to learn his moves and find his weaknesses. It took practice."

"He killed you more than once. How many times?"

"Three. One loop, the last one, I killed him. I couldn't face you, so I hid myself away until it was over."

"Nat," Steve sighed into her hair.

"This time was different. I finally got back to you."

"Tell me everything."

**December 16, 1991**

Natasha waited in the shadows. Howard's car would be passing through any minute, and she would face the Winter Soldier. She kept her focus on the road in front of her. She needed to be ready.

She watched as the car spun out of control. She heard the crash but didn't bother checking on the survivors. If she didn't take down the Winter Soldier, they were dead anyway. She knew the exact moment he saw her. His eyes, the eyes of the man she would someday call a friend, were dead. He was under Hydra's full control.

Knowing his first move, Natasha quickly countered it with one of her own. She needed to end this quickly without ending him. Living through another loop without seeing Steve wasn't an option. He came at her with his metal arm, but she knew it was coming. She ducked beneath his arm and shoved the sedative filled syringe into his back. One, two, three, he was down.

Natasha carefully lowered his sleeping body down onto the asphalt and rushed back to the car. Howard was disoriented. "Are you here to kill me?" he asked.

"No," she said firmly. "I need your help."

Once she was sure Howard and Maria weren't significantly injured, Natasha helped Howard walk back to James. "This isn't possible," Howard whispered.

"It's Barnes, and this isn't even the most impossible thing I'm going to need you to believe. He won't stay under much longer, and we can't risk involving Shield. I need you to contact Peggy Carter. If anyone can help us, she can."

**I hate to end the chapter at this particular point, but it's the best stopping place. Why does Natasha need to talk to Peggy? What are they going to do about Bucky? **


	6. Chapter 6

Peggy Carter stared across the table at the red head in front of her. This was going to be an interesting evening. It had been awhile since she'd enjoyed a good interrogation, and this one had the potential to be particularly enlightening.

Recently semi-retired, Peggy was surprised by Howard's phone call earlier in the evening. The two usually only spoke about the old days, and they didn't talk often anymore. When he informed her James Barnes had just tried to kill him, her first thought was that dementia was sitting in, but, here she was four hours later in one of their abandoned Shield bunkers with James Barnes sitting in a holding cell, not looking a day older than he had in the war.

This woman in front of her had asked for her by name. She claimed to need her help, but she didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to explain why. "Would you like a glass of water?"

"No thanks. I wouldn't say no to vodka though."

Peggy nodded at Howard. He smiled and pulled open a safe designed as a wall portrait. Howard took out a bottle of vodka before locking it back up again and pouring three glasses. "Ms. Romanoff, I have a feeling I owe you my life. Want to tell me why my dead war buddy just tried to kill me?"

"Barnes isn't himself. He's a puppet of Hydra," Natasha said, downing her drink. "They call him the Winter Soldier. He's their super soldier. He doesn't fail."

"Yet, he failed tonight," Peggy said, "because of you. How did you know an attempt was going to be made on Howard and Maria's lives?"

Natasha picked up the bottle and poured herself another drink. "I've seen the video. It was a defining moment for my team. Howard and Maria's death led to the end of everything. I couldn't let it happen again."

Peggy looked at Howard. He shrugged his shoulders. The words obviously made as little sense to him as they did to her. "If you want my help, you're going to have to be a bit more clear."

"I've lived through this time period before. I'm currently reliving the majority of this century on a loop. Until my husband and I find a way to undo the mistakes, we will continue to live through the same events over and over. You wouldn't believe me if I gave you the details, and that's fine. All I need from you is one thing. Keep Bucky safe, preferably in cryostasis in a location I can give in Siberia, and leave Shield out of the scenario. My team will help him regain control when the time is right."

"Time loop? Husband? Team? These are all things you are going to have to elaborate on Ms. Romanoff. Otherwise, you're not going anywhere. You asked for me by name, so you know who I am and what I'm capable of. I'm trying to be nice, but you have information and I need it. If Hydra has been reborn-"

"Hydra was never dead. In a little over twenty years, my husband will discover the truth. Shield and Hydra are synonymous. You're legacy isn't as pure as you think. It isn't your fault. They're good at hiding. When you cut off the head, two more grow in its place."

"If what you're saying is true, it looks like I'll be coming out of retirement. Shield is the world's defense. I will not allow it to be corrupted. Tell me everything then I'll decide what to believe. Let's start with your accomplices. Names now."

"Tony Stark."

"My son is a college kid. His only accomplices are his frat buddies. You can't possibly expect me to believe he's working with you," Howard said.

"You're son is a genius. In the future, he becomes a hero. He goes by the name Ironman and wears a suit he builds himself that lets him fly and shoot down enemies. He perfects A.I. technology and creates an armor that literally bleeds out of his skin. I'm the one Fury, the future director of Shield, will send to recruit him to an elite team."

"There's a Nicholas Fury at Shield," Peggy said. "I'm not sure he's director material, but he's a talented field agent."

"He was the best director Shield could have asked for in my time," Natasha said. "The Avengers initiative is his idea. That's the team Tony and I are a part of, and the threats we face aren't normal garden variety threats either. We fight side-by-side with a god, a man who turns into a giant green monster when he gets angry, the greatest bow and arrow marksman the world has ever known, a super soldier, and a whole slew of others we pick up along the way. We take on aliens, world controlling A.I., and, eventually, a mad titan hell-bent on killing half the population of the universe."

Howard downed his own glass. "Okay, I'm done here. Peggy, I'm sorry I woke you. She's obviously delusional. Maybe Barnes isn't even Barnes but a look-alike and they are in cahoots together."

Howard stood to leave, but Peggy put her hand up. "I think I want to hear the rest of the story. She isn't lying. She's certainly not telling us everything, but I think I'm beginning to believe her. Keep going. You say Anthony is an Avenger in the future. Is he your husband?"

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "No. He definitely is not, but he is my friend. In what should be my present time, I am the godmother to his son, Morgan Howard Stark.

"My husband is the super soldier. If Howard and Maria Stark had died tonight, Tony and my husband would have nearly killed each other in the future. It caused half of the team to go on the run from the U.N. We weren't united. Thanos beat us, and snapped half of all living things out of existence in an instant. Tony was trapped in space, but we rescued him. We worked together and brought everyone back a year later, but there was a cost. St-My husband got lost in time. He's gone through the last decade of his life over a hundred times. I joined him eight loops ago. We can't continue our lives until we defeat Thanos the first time."

"Where is your husband now?" Peggy asked.

"Frozen until 2011. I have to start each loop without him." Natasha poured and downed another glass.

"And, how many years until this Thanos arrives?"

"2018." Natasha reached for the bottle, but Peggy moved it from her grasp.

"And, I think you've had enough of that for now," Peggy said, handing the bottle to Howard who proceeded to pour himself a second glass. "How long have you been on your own?"

"207 years."

Howard was still pouring his glass, but Peggy pushed her own nearly empty glass his direction for a refill. After taking a big drink, she looked back at Natasha. "That's going to require a bit more explanation, my dear."

"I start in 1945 every single time. I haven't made it back to my husband in several loops. In 45, I was fifteen. I graduated from the Red Room."

"I've met a few of you, but one has always eluded me. Am I finally face to face with the Black Widow?" Peggy asked, a small smile appearing on her face. "Is it safe to assume your loop, as you call it, resumes on February 5, 1945?"

Natasha nodded.

"The day Steve crashed," Howard said, shaking his head. "I always believed there was a chance. I've searched and searched. Steve Rogers is alive out there, isn't he? Trapped under the ice?"

Again, Natasha nodded. Peggy put her hand over the hand of the woman in front of her. "I believe you."

"You believe me?"

"It's quite a story, but I do. You're Steve's wife."

"I would have thought Steve marrying me would have been the hardest part for you to believe."

"Believing Steve is alive has never been hard for me. Howard and I have spent vast amounts of his money trying to prove Erskine's formula might have kept him alive and even more trying to find him. I have no doubt he would do whatever was necessary to put things right, and you are exactly the kind of woman I can see him marrying."

"I'm a coldblooded killer with a lot of red on my ledger."

"You're a woman who would suffer through hell repeatedly to save the world and the man you love. We will help you. What do you need?"

Peggy listened as Natasha told her about a bunker in Siberia where other abandoned super soldiers were frozen. Natasha wanted to freeze James in the bunker until a woman named Shuri could help him in the future. The plan wasn't without merit. Obviously the woman in front of her had given it a lot of thought. It wouldn't be difficult for Howard to figure out the necessary settings, and he quickly agreed to provide the necessary security.

Peggy asked Natasha more questions about the Avengers and what was to come, and her heart ached for Natasha. This woman still had several years of horror in her future, and she was incredibly broken down already.

After a long discussion, Peggy looked at the exhausted woman in front of her and smiled. "For now, I'm going to go make you a cup of tea then we can take care of James."

Peggy walked to the old commissary and found some Earl Grey in the cupboard. The tin was a bit dusty, but she knew the tea inside would be fine. She made Natasha a cup then added a tiny bit of something else. Natasha took the cup and drank.

**72 Hours Later**

Natasha woke up in a strange bedroom. The floral curtains were open, and morning sun was filtering into the room. She sat up quickly, trying to figure out how she'd gotten there.

A quick glance at her body didn't show any evidence of foul play. She was wearing a soft cotton night gown, but, at least, she was dressed. That didn't completely rule out her fears, but it did ease them a little. She slowly opened the bedroom door to take a look around.

There were familiar voices coming from downstairs. Howard and Peggy's, she noted. They must have drugged her. She wasn't sitting in a cell, so she doubted she was a prisoner but why did they move her?

Stealing her nerve, Natasha followed the voices into the dining room. Howard was reading something from the paper aloud, and Peggy was vehemently disagreeing with the reporter's account. They stopped when they saw her.

"I'm sorry we were a bit loud. We get this way when news coverage chooses to ignore pertinent facts," Peggy said, "and, I guess I should apologize for the sedative."

"You should probably apologize for having the nurse repeatedly sedate her," Howard suggested. "we did cost her three full days."

"Why did you drug me? I thought you believed me."

"We do, Natasha. We took James to the coordinates you gave us. He is safe, but we were concerned about you," Peggy said. "By your own admission, you haven't had an easy time. We agree waking Steve prematurely could potentially cause more problems, but we have decided not to let you go off on your own in the meantime."

"I have to keep being the Black Widow until Clint brings me in or the timeline won't be close enough. I can't risk doing this again."

"The Cold War is over. You told me you will spend the next several years as a free agent once the KGB has no use of you. I've decided that isn't acceptable," Peggy said.

"So, you're going to put me in prison for my crimes?" Natasha asked. "I can't let you do that. I will fight you if necessary."

Peggy laughed. "I'm sure you would, too. That isn't exactly what we had in mind. From now on, you work for me. I'll create the necessary narrative to ensure Fury sends the archer after you at the right time, but you need to rest for what's ahead. You've been on your own too long. Assuming I'm still alive when Steve wakes up," she paused, giving Natasha time to nod, "I intend to keep you from any harm until you see him."

"You should probably know you aren't well when Steve wakes up. You'll see him again, but-"

"I've done the math. I can guess the rest. Regardless, I'm grateful I will see him at least one more time. What's important, now, is that you do."

**This one was different. I have never attempted Peggy's point of view. Hope I captured her inner voice well enough. Next chapter we will get back to Steve and Natasha's conversation.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Steve's Apartment **

Steve gently rubbed circles on Natasha's back as she shared her story. "You saved Howard and Bucky. You've done good, Nat. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Natasha raised her head slightly to look Steve in the eye. "You were always there. I knew if I could just hang on long enough, get things right enough, we would be together. Peggy helped me a lot, Steve. She stayed with me in her family home outside of London for six months. Eventually, when she decided I had rested enough, she sent me out on missions that would get Fury's attention, but together we made sure I didn't have to get my hands as dirty. You should know, she loved you just as much as you loved her, but she never treated me badly because I ended up with you. She's as much family as Clint or Sam or Wanda."

"Wanda," Steve said softly. "We still need to try and save her brother. We owe it to the kid."

"Agreed, but we have to let Bruce go. We need the Hulk against Ultron, and we should let Tony create him. I think it's one of those bad things we can't avoid. We can put Pietro in a bullet proof vest, but that needs to be where our interference ends."

"So, you basically want to relive this loop without making any more changes? You have done a lot already," Steve whispered into her hair.

"Maybe too much. It's impossible to know if the changes I made will prevent us from succeeding against Thanos. After Ultron, we will change things like we planned. We'll take the fight to him. Unless, I've already messed things up, I'm scared, Steve. I don't know if I could live through the last 70 years again."

"Then we have to make sure you don't. We'll do it right this time."

"The rest of the team and Fury are still in the dark. I shouldn't be here. They can't know we are together. We'll have to stay apart until D.C. then we can make everyone think we just casually fell in love while we worked together. It's our best chance, and we can at least be together publicly that way."

"New York is months from now," Steve grimaced. "I can't go that long without seeing you. We've been apart too long."

"We'll just have to be very sneaky. We have to tell Clint eventually and probably Fury. The others can't know until it's time to go after Thanos."

Natasha knew she needed to leave Steve's arms and make her escape before the sun came up, but the idea of separating so soon was almost impossible to bear. "I haven't been faithful. There were things I had to do-"

"To get back to me. I know who the Black Widow was and what it cost you. You did what you had to do, Nat. I know I never lost your heart. I don't care about any of it."

"Loving you kept me going. It was all I had for so long. I don't want to go, but I can't stay." Natasha stood and slowly dressed. She could feel Steve's eyes on her. "Meet me at the retirement home in four days. Peggy will want to see you. Fury knows I visit with Peggy. He thinks she took me under her wing when I started at Shield. It won't be suspicious. We can steal a few minutes after the visit. It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

"I'll be there," Steve said as he stood to kiss her goodbye.

**Retirement Home**

Steve got to Peggy's room before Natasha. He hoped it would be one of her good days. He needed to thank her for everything she did for Natasha. "Peggy, I'm here. I'm back."

"As handsome as ever," Peggy smiled. "I've looked forward to today for so long. Just knowing you would come meant so much to me. Tell me you've seen your wife."

Steve nodded. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Natasha will be here soon. Thank you for helping her. You and Howard took care of Nat and Bucky when I couldn't. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay."

"How could we not? You sacrificed everything during the war. I'm just glad we could be there for Natasha and James. Natasha has been through so much. She wasn't in a good place when she came to us. We were afraid she would get herself killed before you woke up. Take care of her, Steve. She's strong, but this has taken a toll on her."

"I will. I promise. I wish I could have seen Howard again, but I'm glad it was natural causes that took him instead of Bucky. What the three of you did might just make all the difference. We might be able to break this cycle."

"I hope it was enough. You deserve to be happy. Daniel and I had a good life. It's time for you and Natasha to get yours."

Steve felt Natasha's presence before he saw her. She slipped into the room quietly, closing the door behind her. "There's our girl," Peggy said softly. "Come see me again soon, but I want you to spend time with your wife now. Natasha's made the arrangements."

Steve gave Natasha a puzzled look, but she just smiled at him and went to hug Peggy. "I'll see you soon," she whispered before looking back at Steve. "Follow me."

Steve followed Natasha down the hallway to an empty room. It was some kind of visiting area with couches and a few chairs. Natasha locked the door behind them. "This is a safe place for us to meet until New York. I know it isn't much but-"

"It's everything. We're together. It's perfect."

"I think if we meet at different times each week we can pull off an hour or so each visit. After New York, it'll be easier," she said softly.

"Just so you know, I'm planning on a whirlwind courtship. When we get to D.C., I plan on making such a fool of myself for you in front of everyone at Shield they won't be surprised when I ask you to move in with me as soon as we start dating."

Natasha laughed. "I'll hit on you when we meet on the helicarrier, make it obvious I'm interested."

Steve pulled her into his arms. "You do that. I might ask you if you want to have dinner sometime in front of Clint on the quinjet while we're on our way to fight Loki."

"He's going to be really surprised when I say yes."

"We'll have a big wedding this time, no sneaking off to Jamaica this time," he said, kissing her temple.

"Oh, but I liked Jamaica," she purred.

"Fine, we can honeymoon there, a really long honeymoon."

"You have yourself a deal, soldier."

They spent the rest of their time cuddled up on one of the couches talking and holding each other. When it was time to leave and she left his embrace, Steve ached from the lack of her presence. They had to play their parts. He just hoped it would be for the last time.

**D.C.**

**1 Year, 4 Months Later**

Without the Winter Soldier, Natasha was afraid Shield wouldn't fall. She should have realized another assassin would have been pulled in to take his place. When Fury arrived at the apartment she shared with Steve, Natasha immediately turned on the device to block the bugs. They didn't have much time. Fury needed to know everything.

Natasha filled him in as quickly as she could, but it was obvious he wasn't buying it. "How would I know about Carol Danvers or your plan with Maria to fake you death if I were making this up, Fury?"

"You could be a skrull," he said.

"Last mission, I got the data off the ship. Three months ago, you tried to convince me I needed to date Steve longer before marrying him. Do I even need to mention the fiasco last week over lunch or the taco sal-"

"Fine, not a skrull. I'm going to need a full debrief with both of you when we get to the bunker," he said. "In the meantime, I guess you should hold on to this. Do not page her until I say so." Fury handed the pager to Natasha just as the assailant took his shot.

Steve and Natasha took off after the would-be assassin and ordered him on the roof. Steve managed to get the mask off of his face. "Bucky?"

Natasha watched as James overpowered Steve and jumped from the roof top. She ran to see where he had landed, but he was gone. "This isn't possible."


	8. Chapter 8

"James should be in cryostasis. Howard set up a trust. I personally chose the team that is guarding him. This doesn't make any sense," Natasha said as she and Steve raced to the hospital for Fury's "death scene".

It was crazy how compartmentalized their life had become. They no longer just lived life. They picked and chose scenes from the past they deemed to important to skip or change and played their parts as close to perfection as possible. The rooftop scene between Steve and James was one she thought she'd prevented. This unknown variable could complicate their ability to keep the team together.

Steve reached over and took her hand. "I know, Nat. We'll figure it out. There's no reason for us to get the information from Zola. We already have it. I'll skip the run in at Shield, and we'll grab Sam and head for Siberia. We should have enough time before we meet Fury. We don't need to go into the Triskelion without more information."

Convincing Sam to tag along to Siberia was just as easy as convincing him to join them in their mission to discover Fury's killer in the past. By moving before Hydra could set their sights on Steve, Natasha didn't have any trouble securing a quinjet and soon they were at the bunker.

Natasha pulled her gun and walked inside, just a step behind Steve who stood ready with his shield. Sam stood watch. The security team was dead. By the looks of things, they weren't prepared for battle. She opened up the video files and watched them on fast forward. Friendly fire. Kosinski must have been Hydra. How could she have missed it? She'd chosen him, because she thought he was solid and he wasn't particularly important to any of the missions she and Steve knew they needed to relive. Sadly, he was more important than she thought.

Steve checked the chambers and returned with a frown on his face. "Bucky isn't the only winter soldier out there. They're all gone. We're going to need help."

"Time to bring in the others," Natasha frowned. "I was hoping for more time with you before the loop restarted."

Steve pulled her close and kissed her. "Don't go there. We haven't lost this time just yet, Nat. We'll just have to speed up our plans. D.C., the winter soldiers, then we'll decide with the team what we should do next."

**The Bunker**

Tony shook his head. The story he had just heard was completely unbelievable. When Natasha had called to give him the coordinates, he'd expected to track down arms dealers or maybe even some kind of assassination attempt on a world leader. Aliens wouldn't have been much of a shock after Loki but a time loop?

At first, he thought they were pulling his leg, but Fury seemed convinced and Fury never believed anything without a whole lot of proof. Thor was there, and he just took it with a grain of salt, making Tony even more curious about what exactly passed for normal on Asgard. Bruce and Clint, at least, had the intelligence to be as puzzled as he was.

Natasha finally pulled something out of her bag and handed it to Tony. It was a disk, kind of an old school disk, but a disk just the same. "There's a message from Howard on here. I asked him to tape it years ago. We knew you wouldn't believe any other way."

"How could you have possibly known my father? He died before you defected. You would have still been not much more than a kid."

"Yeah, Tash, this just doesn't make any sense," Clint said.

"Long story that's going to have to wait for another time, but I've known your father since 1991," she paused. Tony couldn't help but notice the sheepish look on her face when she addressed Clint. "I worked behind the scenes for Peggy Carter and Howard Stark for years before we met, Clint. Our friendship, the way we met, it was just too important to me to give up. I needed you to come after me the way you did before Steve and I got stuck in the loop. I'm sorry I couldn't be honest with you sooner, but we need you now. We have five more super soldiers to fight than we did the first time around. This isn't something we can do without the Avengers. Even if you watch the video and still don't believe we're stuck in a loop, believe this much. Shield has to fall to defeat Hydra, and it's going to take all of us to make that happen."

Maria took the disk from Tony and put it inside of a laptop. Tony listened as his father basically repeated the story Natasha and Steve had just told. When the message ended, Tony still wasn't convinced they were telling the truth, but he had no doubt his father and Peggy Carter believed it. It didn't really matter at the moment either way. What Natasha said was right, this was a job for the Avengers.

"Okay, I'm in. Let's take out these super soldiers before they do any real damage," he said.

"There's just one more thing," Steve said, "we need them alive, at least Bucky. There's a teenager in Wakanda who will be able to help him regain his memories in a few years. That needs to happen."

"A teenager in Wakanda? Now, I know you're pulling my leg," Tony said.

"Her name is Shuri. She's still a little young, but she's a genius. She might be smarter than even you, and Wakanda is a whole lot more advanced than they'd like us to believe. You'll see in a few years. You, Shuri, and Bruce actually become pretty tight," Natasha said. "You were working together to find Steve before I joined him in the loop. It just wasn't a science problem. I had to see a wizard."

"I swear, Red, if you start singing about the wonderful wizard of Oz, I'll know you're pulling my leg."

"I'm not, Tony. I'm serious. We need you. Have you and Bruce discussed your little secret project yet?"

"Secret project?" Tony asked.

"Ultron," she said.

"There's no way you could possibly know about that. I was going to mention it to Banner before you called. I've never even said the word out loud."

"I've lived it. For the record, it was a really bad idea," Natasha said.

"Okay, Red, you have my attention."

"I'm intrigued," Bruce admitted.

"Still not sure I'm buying it," Clint said, "but I'm willing to put some arrows in the air. Shield is compromised. Let's go uncompromised it."

"Thor?" Steve asked.

"I needed no convincing. You say magic put you into a loop of repeating time and we must get you out of it. I am just grateful it isn't my brother's doing."

**D.C. Cemetery**

"Avengers, as far as the world is concerned, I'm resting right here. My question for you is how long do I get to rest before we deal with this intergalactic threat Rogers and Romanoff seem so sure is coming?" Fury asked.

"A few of the players aren't in place yet," Steve said. "I'm grateful we got Bucky back into cryo, but we'll need to wait until Loki's scepter ends up where we need it to be to do anything else. When we retrieve the scepter, we'll need to rescue Wanda and Pietro. They'll need some convincing, but with Wanda's powers, she'll be able to read our minds and see the truth for herself. That should put them on our side then Tony and Bruce can create Vision and you can contact Carol. We won't have the Guardians. We may never even meet them, but we'll save their lives. That's what matters."

"Sounds like you have this all figured out," Fury said. "We'll meet again once all the pieces are in place. In the meantime, I think I've earned a vacation. Don't call me, I'll be in touch."

"So, what do the rest of us do?" Sam asked.

"You go home and train," Natasha said. "You're an Avenger now. No skipping your runs and-"

"Watch my left. I got it. You've already pointed out my flaws enough this mission."

"I helped train you in the original timeline," Natasha said. "Not being able to take the time to do that properly makes me worry. I just need you to be safe, Sam."

"I take it we were close."

"We were family."

Sam whistled. "Sounds like this speeding things up to stop a titan is costing me something important. Can't say I like that much."

"We're still family," Natasha said with a smile before hugging her friend. "Practice everyday."

Soon, only Clint stood beside Steve and Natasha. "What are you guys going to do with this little vacation?"

"Thought we might come see you at the farm," Natasha admitted.

"He knows about that?"

"You told him yourself. Still not buying it?"

"I'm trying, but it's a lot to take in."

"We'll talk more at the farm. We should stop and pick up a pregnancy test on the way. It'll save time."

Clint's eyes grew wide. "You're pregnant?"

"No," Natasha said with a laugh.

Clint's face fell. "We didn't want to be outnumbered."

Steve patted him on the back. "You make being a father of three look easy. You'll be fine." Steve took Natasha's hand and headed towards the car.

Clint shook his head and rushed to catch up. "I really hope this is some kind of a joke."

**No Cliffhanger today. Thanks for reading.**


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as the word left Tony's mouth, Natasha grinned. Even knew deep in battle, this moment was one she had been waiting on. When Steve didn't reply to Tony's off-color word, she had to do it. "Steve, you're up. Isn't there something you want to say to Tony?"

"Not this time," he said into the comms. "I think that's one running gag I'd like to skip."

"You sure about that? I kind of enjoyed the language jokes."

"Is she talking other timeline again?" Sam asked from his position on Rhodey's six, "because we don't have time for that right now. How the hell did you get by without Rhodey and I the first time? This is a mess."

Natasha heard Steve sigh into the comms. "Language," he said before taking out a soldier in front of him.

"There it is," Nat said.

"Language? Really, Cap?" Tony said as he kept up his assault on the castle.

"I was going to skip it," Steve said quickly.

"But he likes making his wife happy," Natasha said, shooting a widow's bite into an assalaint before ducking from a blow she knew was coming.

"I am never going to get used to this. Save the mushy stuff until we get the scepter and your super twins," Clint complained.

With the addition of Sam and Rhodey, the Avengers made fairly short work of the Hydra agents. Natasha was the first to Wanda's cell. "I'm getting you and your brother out. You don't belong in a cell, and you're coming with us."

"What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?" Wanda asked.

"Because we can help you. You aren't like these people You're a good person, Wanda."

Natasha knew words weren't going to get through to the young woman she loved like a sister, and she fully expected the girl's response. As Wanda's hand reached for her head, Natasha smiled. "Do it. Everything will make sense after you read my mind."

Wanda touched Natasha then fell to the ground. Natasha felt weak, so she sat beside her. "How can this be? I saw your memories. I saw us together, but none of the things I've seen have happened. My brother-"

"Is safe and we are going to make sure he stays that way. Everything you just witnessed in my head happened in another timeline. We are friends, Wanda. We fight side by side. Steve and I are trying to right the wrongs from before and one of those wrongs is Pietro's death. Help us save him and Vision."

"Vision, this is so confusing. How can I love some one I haven't even met?" The younger woman finally nodded. "We'll come with you, but you have to promise to tell me everything. I don't understand any of this, but it was too real in your mind to be a lie."

"Think you're strong enough to walk out of here? I doubt Pietro will come willingly if you don't help us."

"I'll help," Wanda said, slowly standing alongside Natasha. "I felt your pain. You didn't try to hide anything from me. So many years, so many secrets and you just showed me everything."

"Secrets got us into this mess. Only the truth is going to get us out."

**Stark Tower**

"Shouldn't we secure these two in a holding cell or something?" Tony asked as the group assembled in the conference room.

"No," Steve said, "Wanda probably understands this situation better than anyone but Nat and I now that she's seen what's in Natasha's mind, and they are our friends, not our prisoners."

"So, you saw the other time line?" Tony asked Wanda. "It's real?"

"And, terrifying," Wanda said, scooting in closer to her brother. "I could show you if you want." She looked at Natasha. "Is that okay?"

Natasha and Steve exchanged looks. "We said no more secrets," she said.

"Show them," Steve said, "but everyone needs to prepare themselves. It wasn't pretty, and we made terrible mistakes. Tony, you and I fought. We nearly killed each other. If knowing how bad things were stops us from being able to fight Thanos together, I don't know what we're going to do."

"He's also going to see that you made up, that you put your differences aside and did what had to be done," Natasha said, putting her hand in Steve's. "Trust your friend to do what he has to do."

There was no party at Stark Tower that night. After Wanda showed the others what happened in the original timeline, everyone felt sick. Tony went to his room to think things through. Rhodey went to the gym to exercise his leg muscles and prove to himself his legs still worked. Wanda comforted her brother in the quarters Tony provided, and Sam asked Steve if they could talk privately. Soon only Natasha and Bruce were in the conference room.

"It's funny," Bruce said, "I was jealous of Steve when the two of you started dating. I had a crush on you. It's hard to separate that reality from this one now that I know we were together even briefly."

"Bruce, I'm sorry. We wouldn't have worked-"

"I know. I got the memo from, well, your memories. It's okay. Seeing it this way isn't the same as living it exactly, but it is still weird. You already loved Steve when you started reliving things. I just kind of feel like I got cheated out of something that never happened for me."

"You're a good man. You aren't the monster you think you are," Natasha said, not knowing how else to respond.

"And, you aren't the monster the Red Room tried to create," Bruce said. "At least, I finally see why Steve isn't as friendly with me as he is the others. I'm surprised he's letting me talk to you alone."

"Enough years have passed for Steve and I that he isn't jealous if that's what you're implying, but I think it's possible he distanced himself from you because he knows what you and I had and what we won't have again because I'm with him."

"Makes sense. I'm going to go work on our little project. Tony will probably need the rest of the night to get a handle on things. Tomorrow, we should be ready to turn Jarvis into, what did you call him again? Vision?"

Natasha nodded and watched Bruce walk away. Today had been hard, but the cards were all on the table. Now, it was up to her friends to decide if they could do what needed to be done as a team and defeat Thanos once and for all.

**Tony's Penthouse**

**The Next Morning**

Steve knocked on the door of Tony's penthouse. It was nearly ten, and no one had heard from the genius since he'd locked himself away the night before.

Tony pulled the door open and stood to the side so Steve could enter. "I half-expected you last night."

"I figured you needed time," Steve said.

"Yeah, well, it was a lot to process. My parents? Ultron? The Accords? Siberia? Half the damn universe? All because of things you and I did."

Steve nodded. "We made too many mistakes, and a lot of people suffered."

"I kind of hate you right now," Tony admitted, "but since we figured things out before, I guess we better figure them out again. Your friendship isn't one I want to lose, half the universe or not."

"I agree. When I thought we lost you before you and I could make things right, it nearly killed me."

"I know. I guess thanks to the witch I know everything. It would have been easier if you and Red would have just been lying or mind controlled or something. You've relived this so many times, and, if we fail, you have to do it all over again."

"I don't want to do it again, Tony. Natasha's got it worse than I do. We can't fail. She shouldn't have to go back to the Red Room."

"She saved my parents. I'm not going to let us fail. I owe her. We all do," Tony said, sitting on the couch with his head between his hands. "Pepper isn't on a business trip. She left me. I'm glad she came back in the other timeline. What if we do something that costs me Pepper and my son?"

"We won't let that happen," Steve said firmly.

"All these changes are going to have consequences, Cap. How can you be so sure?"

"Because some truths still remain every single time I go through this loop, and you and Pepper are one of those truths. You'll get her back. You belong together."

Tony looked up and nodded. "I guess it's time to get this over with. I'll need a few hours to get things ready for Vision. Cho and the cradle are in route, but we need that vibranium."

"Natasha, Wanda, Sam, and I will handle that. T'Challa is in D.C. on a diplomatic mission for his father," Steve said.

"And, you think you can just walk in to the meeting and talk him out of vibranium his country denies exists?"

"We don't exactly plan on just walking in through the front door."

Tony shook his head. "Captain America is about to kidnap a prince. The media is going to love this one."

"Won't be the first time I was a on the U.N.'s watch list."


	10. Chapter 10

It amazed Steve the way Wanda integrated into the team so quickly. She completely accepted what she'd seen in Natasha's mind and spent the short flight teasing Sam about things that hadn't actually even happened this time around. Sam took the teasing pretty well, too.

Everything finally felt familiar again. Being with Natasha, Sam, and Wanda on a mission just seemed normal. Steve could tell Natasha was enjoying it, too. During those few years on the run, the four of them had been a family, and he had missed his family q whole lot more than he realized.

"Penny for your thoughts," Natasha said. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Just enjoying the moment, I guess. It feels different this time around. I know it wasn't easy letting Wanda read your mind, but you made the right call."

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be honestly, and she did so much more than read my mind, Steve. I made her spar with me this morning. We need her to convince T'Challa to help us, but I remembered how little control she had over her powers when we first met her. I wanted to cover the basics, but it wasn't necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she did good, Steve. Things we haven't taught her, she knew them. It's like she absorbed the training just by watching the memories of training with us in the other timeline. She's ready."

"Do you think the others were able to do what she did? It would sure make things easier."

"It would, but I'm afraid not. Wanda's abilities must have made her extra sensitive. I sparred with Sam when we were finished. He still needs some work, but I can tell he's been practicing while we were apart. It just wasn't like Wanda."

"So, Wanda seems so much like our Wanda-"

"Because, essentially she is our Wanda. She's happier. Seeing what could have happened and knowing we are going to try to prevent it probably helps with that," Natasha said. "I'm glad the team knows everything now. It feels like we're finally home. I just hope we can complete the mission this time around."

"We will, Nat."

"I've done some reconnaissance on T'Challa's hotel. Okoye isn't with him. I'm sure she's wherever the king is, so that isn't a surprise. It will make things a little easier. T'Challa booked one suite. He brought Nakia. They were still together at this point in the timeline."

"You've sparred with Nakia several times, Okoye too."

"I have and it gives me a serious advantage. I know Nakia's strengths and weaknesses, but she doesn't know mine since, for her, it hasn't happened yet. I'll be able to keep her busy while you and Wanda handle T'Challa. Sam will be close, ready to assist me. We can meet on the quinjet and go from there."

"You're sure you don't want to just have Wanda do her thing at the hotel and skip this kidnapping plan?" Steve asked.

"You saw how hard it was for Tony to accept the reality, and he knew what Wanda could do. Clint and Thor still haven't come out of their rooms. The shock of losing their families was too much for them. T'Challa is going to need some time to come to terms with what we show him. Too much could go wrong in the hotel. We need to get him in the air and give him a chance to think."

"Why am I the leader of the Avengers again? You're the brains."

Natasha laughed. "You're a tactician, too, and the world looks up to Captain America. I'm perfectly content to be your second in command."

"You're way more than that to me, Nat. I think you always were, even before I knew I was in love with you."

"I love you, too. I don't want to relive those 70 years without you again, but I would do it over and over just to be with you one more time. I meant it when I said I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"I know. Looks like we're landing. Guess it's time to go break a few international laws. You ready?"

"Always," she said, giving him one last kiss.

**D.C.**

**T'Challa's Hotel Lobby**

"We need to separate them," Natasha said into the comms. "Steve, offer to buy them a drink. He'll know who you are and assume you're trying to be diplomatic."

"On it." Steve casually walked up to T'Challa and Nakia and introduced himself. "I would love to buy you a couple of drinks and hear a little more about your country, Prince T'Challa. I've always found African culture intriguing. The bar is just over there. Can you spare a few minutes?"

"T'Challa, please. We don't stand on ceremony in Wakanda. I think we can spare a few minutes for Captain America." T'Challa motioned for Steve to lead the way, and Nakia followed closely behind.

They took a table near the back of the bar, and Wanda came to take their order. Steve was impressed with her ability to stay in character. It had taken ages for Natasha to teach the young woman the basics of espionage, but she seemed to have the skills down pat from her time in Natasha's mind. Maybe they should have just had Wanda read their minds the first time around. It was obviously a much more effective method.

When Wanda returned, she spilled one of the drinks on Nakia. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said. "Let me get more napkins. I'm so clumsy. I can't believe-"

"I think it's going to take more than a few napkins," T'Challa said. "Nakia will need to change. If you'll excuse us, Captain-"

"Steve, call me Steve. Perhaps you and I could have our drink and wait for Nakia to return."

"The prince cannot be in public without a member of the Dora Milaje, Captain," Nakia said, using one of the offered napkins to wipe part of the Liquid from her lap.

"I understand. That's actually a great rule. My job would be a lot easier if every diplomat had someone like you to protect him. Sometimes I feel like I spend half my time just trying to keep VIPs who can't take care of themselves alive."

"I'm perfectly capable of-" T'Challa began.

"Oh, I didn't mean any disrespect. I just mean you wouldn't have the same level of combat skills someone like Nakia or I have, and sometimes situations come up. That's all."

"My level of combat skills are just fine, Captain Rogers," T'Challa said firmly. "Nakia, why don't you go change. I'm sure the captain and I will be just fine."

"T'Challa-" Nakia warned.

"Just fine. Go, get dried off and come back," he said.

"Way to tick off the man with the vibranium," Sam said through the comms. "Nicely done, Cap."

Nakia headed towards the room, and Wanda brought fresh drinks to the table.

**Hotel Room**

Natasha was waiting when Nakia opened the door to the suite. Immediately, Nakia went on the offensive against the intruder. Natasha just met her move for move without attempting to overtake her for the next several minutes.

Neither woman was even beginning to wear down when Wanda came on the comms. "The drugs have taken affect. We've got him on the quinjet."

"What? Didn't even bother fighting the Black Panther? Getting lazy?" Natasha replied.

"You know things you shouldn't," Nakia shouted, coming at Natasha with a vengeance.

The sudden change took Natasha off-guard and gave Nakia the upper hand for a moment. Natasha was on the ground, and Nakia was about to finish her off. "I know lots of things, and you will, too, in a few minutes. Unless you'd rather fight to the death and risk not seeing T'Challa again, you should probably come with me."

Nakia stopped fighting. "What kind of treachery is this?"

"Necessary treachery," Natasha replied. "You wouldn't believe me if I just told you, but if you're done sparring, I'll take you to T'Challa and you'll understand everything."

Sam walked in as they were talking. "It really would be easier if you just came with us. We're friends. Let's not make this ugly. Widow has a nasty bite, and she'd rather not use it on an ally."

**The Quinjet **

**4 Hours Later**

"If what you've shown me is real, you're going to need all the help you can get to go against Thanos. He cannot be allowed to succeed," T'Challa said. Turning to Nakia, he added, "We can't risk letting him win."

"I believe them," Nakia said. "She never tried to hurt me, but it was obvious she knew what moves would disable me. Instead, she just sparred with me as if it were a game. She didn't seem worried even when I had the upper hand. I think they are friends, just like the memories the witch shared."

"So, you'll get us the vibranium?" Steve asked.

"We'll do more than that. We are coming with you," T'Challa said. "I won't risk the fate of my people in any hands but my own."

"Not going to pretend we couldn't use the help," Steve said.

**Stark Tower**

By the time Fury arrived with Carol and everyone was up to date, Vision was in his vibranium body. Steve looked around the conference room at his friends. They were going in much stronger than they had when they made the successful trip to Thanos's garden. He felt at peace that maybe this time they would win the day without the losses.

The next big hurdle was finding Thanos, but even that wasn't as complicated as it could have been. Conversations with Nebula in the past told them where his main base of operations was located, and Carol knew how to get there. They'd be taking her ship this time around, and if all went well, they'd be able to stop Thanos before he even made his attempt to go after the infinity stones.

"When do we leave?" Clint asked.

"We leave tomorrow," Natasha said, "but you aren't going. We could be gone awhile. You're not missing Nathaniel's birth."

"I'm not risking their lives by staying behind."

"Earth can't be left defenseless, Clint. You're staying and leading the team," Steve said. "Sam, Rhodey, you guys are staying, too. Go get Antman and Wasp. The five of you can handle things here while we're away."

"If things get too crazy, call in Strange," Natasha added. "He prefers to work more in the shadows, but he and Wong would come in a pinch."

"So, this is it then?" Sam said. "If you succeed, the looping is over and we all just live out our lives. If you fail, the next time we see you, we won't even remember any of this."

"Pretty much, but we won't fail," Steve said, squeezing Natasha's hand. "Not this time."

A portal opened into the conference room, and Stephen Strange walked into the room and focused in on Natasha. "It took you long enough to get this far."

"You remember?" Natasha asked.

"This is the closest you've come. I decided I better join you. There's no way back for me and reliving my accident isn't an option, so let's get this right. You were so close. I didn't think I'd have to get involved then you nearly blew it."

"Well, you didn't exactly give a lot of details. You left out some pretty pertinent ones, 70 years worth for me."

"Are you saying you wouldn't have come anyway?"

"No, I would have done it," Natasha admitted. "What did we miss?"

"You were going to leave us behind. You need us. We all go together and win. Somebody call the ant, the wasp, and the spider, so we can get this show on the road."

"Peter's a little young. I don't want to risk his safety. We haven't even met yet," Tony argued.

"He's already Spiderman, and you will keep him safe. The original failure came from a lack of unity. The real success will come from solidarity, so I recommend the archer send his wife a large bouquet of flowers and his apologies. He's going to be a little late, but he won't miss the birth of his son," Strange said. "This is the moment the Avengers have been waiting a for. We must work together."

**Not much left in this story folks. Hope you've enjoyed the ride. We will probably finish it off tomorrow. **


	11. Chapter 11

The final faceoff with Thanos was devastatingly familiar in some ways. They were outnumbered, just like in Wakanda. Taking down the sons and daughters of Thanos on their own turf required more manpower, and Steve found himself grateful Strange had decided to show up when he did. If it hadn't been for Clint, he'd have had to watch his wife die before his eyes-again.

With strategic certainty, the team worked their way closer and closer to Thanos, leaving the Avengers most equipped to deal with whatever minion Thanos threw their way, the remaining teammates pressed on to the goal. Soon, only Steve, Thor and Tony were walking toward their target.

The titan hadn't acquired the gauntlet, but he carried a sword longer than Steve was tall. Thor threw his hammer towards Thanos's head as Steve and Tony ran for the brute at full speed. The hammer hit it's mark, and Thanos fell to the ground. He was injured, be he was still alive. "Why did you come?" he asked, grabbing Tony by the neck.

"Because we couldn't let you do what you were planning," Tony managed to sputter. "You'll never get your hand on that gauntlet."

"You know about the gauntlet?" Thanos laughed. "I don't need it to destroy you."

Just as Thanos was preparing to snap Tony's neck, Steve and Thor attacked again. The three men traded blows with Thanos. They were injured, but the mad titan wasn't in good shape either. It was just a matter of time before one of the lost their life, and Steve was determined it wouldn't be one of his friends.

As the battle waged, Steve lost his shield, but he kept punching. Tony's suit was in pieces, but he wouldn't stop. Thor could barely see for the blood gushing from a wound in his head, but Steve could see just fine. He saw the glint of metal from a weapon on the ground. He grabbed it, certain it was the sword Thanos had lost moments before, and swung it into Thanos's head as hard as he could.

Only after the titan cried out in agony and fell on his back did Steve realize what he had grabbed. He was holding Thor's hammer. Thor looked at Steve in a mixture of both shock and awe as Steve handed him his weapon. Tony, too weak to speak, just shook his head and crawled over to Thanos's dead body. He gave the others a nod and fell down.

They were severely wounded, but they would live. More importantly, no one else would die at Thanos's hands. By the time the others arrived, the three men were laying side by side, trying to recover enough to stand.

Natasha rushed to Steve. "You did it," she said, kissing him gently on the lips.

"We all did," Steve said weakly. He looked up at the team. "We did it together."

"Any chance we can go home now?" Tony asked. "I have a feeling this pain in my chest is a collapsed lung, and I'd really like to see a doctor in my own galaxy."

Rhodey and Bruce helped Tony to his feet and gently walked him towards the ship. Thor managed to walk alone, but Carol and Wanda stood on each side of him, with Vision hovering behind ready to assist. Sam and Clint helped Natasha get Steve to his feet then Steve saw Thor's hammer still on the ground. He winced as he picked it up.

"Look at you," Natasha smiled, "showing off while you're injured. Not very Captain America like," she teased.

"I think Earth has enough heroes without Captain America. As of this moment, I'm officially retired. You don't have to stop-"

"Oh, I think we've both put in our time, soldier. Let's go home and just enjoy our lives."

"You sure?" he asked.

"I'm positive. If they need us, they'll know where to find us. We've earned a little peace and quiet. We'll see if T'Challa will let us stay in Wakanda while Shuri helps James then maybe we can find a nice beach somewhere to live out our days."

Steve smiled, remembering their time in Jamaica. "I think I know just the place."

**Avengers Compound **

**July 4****th**** 2019**

Natasha lit the sparklers on Steve's cake and carried it into the common room. It was fitting to have his party at the compound with their friends. She looked around the room. Pepper was holding Morgan in her arms, but baby Morgan's eyes were following Nathaniel as he darted back and forth between his older brother and sister. Clint made a half-hearted attempt to scold the boy, but Fury encouraged Nathaniel to ignore his dad.

Laura was right behind her with a stack of plates, and Carol and Thor were behind Laura arguing playfully about whether or not Thor was really the rightful ruler of Asgard. T'Challa agreed with Carol that Steve or Vision could easily stake their claims.

Wanda and Vision were sitting on the couch hand in hand. Pietro was teasing them unmercifully. Rhodey, Bruce, Strange, and Tony were lost in deep conversation, while Peter asked Hope and Scott questions about pym particles for a science project he was already planning for senior year. Everyone was there to celebrate together.

Steve smiled from his place between Bucky and Sam when she entered the room. For once, he didn't seem to mind all the attention focused on his birthday. He looked so relaxed, and Natasha knew he really was happy to be home.

Neither of them had any desire to actually leave retirement, but Jamaica hadn't been the right place for them to settle down after all. They'd bought a house a few minutes from the compound shortly after Tony called to tell them Pepper was expecting, and it wasn't unusual for them to end up spending the majority of their days sparring with the new team. They needed to make sure their friends were well trained and ready for any battles they faced.

At the end of each day, they went home together, satisfied their unconventional family of heroes could handle whatever threat the universe threw at them next. For them, the war was finally over and they were content.

**And, they lived happily ever after. Thanks for coming on this journey with me. I'd love for Endgame to end in retirement, not death, but it seems pretty unlikely our heroes will all come out alive. Consider this my fix-it in advance.**


End file.
